NCAAPS

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Neuroscience Clinical Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry Study (NCAAPS): Multi-site studies of atypical and abnormal neurocognition in individuals with mental illnesses aged 14-24 years

• IRAS ID

  137762

• Sponsor organisation

  Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge - Joint Sponsorship

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 4 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  The aim of NCAAPS is to measure and characterise atypical and abnormal behaviours, together with cognitions and neural networks, in people aged 14-24 years who suffer, or have suffered, from mental health problems. We will compare our results against healthy volunteers who underwent the same assessments as part of the U-Change study (12/EE/0250) community collected sample that analysed cognition and neural systems in young adults exposed to psychosocial adversities relate gene expression and cellular phenotypes with genetic and/or epigenetic variation.

  We aim to recruit approximately 600 participants aged 14-24 years to complete socio-demographic and self-report questionnaires of mood, behaviour and well-being.

  From this cohort, we will recruit a representative group (the MRI Cohort) to participate in at least two full-day clinical assessments involving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and more detailed behavioural assessments of cognitive and social functioning. We will use computer-based assessments, clinical assessments and questionnaires. Another group from the same cohort will participate in the same assessments, although, without MRI (the cognition only cohort). All participants will be asked to provide saliva samples for genetic analysis, and those participants specifically consenting to do so will go into the genetics cohort.

  The study will use an accelerated longitudinal design for measurement of all cohorts. This allows for measurement of age-related change within subjects, but is considerably faster to complete compared to conventional longitudinal studies, which traditionally measures changes over a long period of time. Each participant in all cohorts will provide data on at least two assessments (baseline and follow-up), separated by an interval of 1-42 months.

  Participants will be recruited from London, Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas using multiple recruitment sampling frames (e.g., mainly from mental health services and community service, GPs, BioResource, general advertising (posters, leaflets, social media etc.), help from other research groups, and word-of-mouth).

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 3

• REC reference

  14/WS/1140

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 Feb 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion